What xian/religious sayings get on your nerves?

We've had countless discussions on here about the religious colloquialisms and sayings that others say that we tolerate (e.g. many don't mind something like, ("I hope you get better soon - I'll pray for you", or something as simple as "bless you" after a sneeze). But what about the other end of the spectrum?

What are the xian, or religious for that matter, sayings that drive you crazy or get under your skin? For instance, here are a couple of mine...

When a religious person sees another who is down on his luck, or has had some tragedy, or is simply "not as good as" the religious person and they say, "There but for the grace of god go I". How pompous and sanctimonious, not to mention cruel and selfiish

Sports figures, actors, etc. who go through the histrionics of thanking god when something great happens to them. What, did god hate the other players/competitors?

Replies to This Discussion

"everything happens for a reason" riles me up pretty badly, like someone else previously mentioned. maybe it gives comfort to *some* people, but if I were to lose a child and someone comforted me with "well honey, everything happens for a reason", I wouldn't take it well at all. it's like Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole - I completely sympathize. besides that, whenever people have used it in an everyday sort of sense, it's never come across as anything but a lazy excuse. if you failed a test because you decided to watch Real Housewives of New Jersey instead of studying, yeah there's a reason you failed - it's because you're a fuck-up! lol there's no spiritual mystique behind that at all.

I also don't like the word "blessing", or any phrase using said word. "what a blessing!" is something people in the Mormon church like to use a lot, and I don't know why, but I find it really annoying. I think it's because they apply it to things that are so generalized or silly that it's like, "really? you pick that?" "What a blessing it is to have young children running around the house!" "What a blessing it is to have Christ in your homes!" what a blessing it is to have access to Angry Birds on my phone during sacrament meeting!

and my "F" word is not "fuck", as can be seen here - it's "faith". the second someone tries to tell me about how virtuous this characteristic is or why it's preferable to logic and reasoning, my brain automatically goes into "noooooope we're done here" mode. don't talk to me about faith. I've had enough experience in my life to show me just how far faith can get you.

"I'm praying for you" doesn't tend to bug me much anymore. ...okay I lied, but I won't get mad at someone who genuinely says this to me. my mom actually told me this rather shyly a couple of days ago. I'd been stressed about an exam for state licensing, and when I called to tell her the results she sounded kind of nervous when she said "I was praying for you, because I really wanted you to do well". it was actually very sweet. she knows how I feel about religion and was nervous sharing that, but still wanted me to know she was doing what she could to help. of course if someone can help in some other way, I'll ask them to, but I very much appreciate the gesture.

""everything happens for a reason" riles me up pretty badly, like someone else previously mentioned. maybe it gives comfort to *some* people, but if I were to lose a child and someone comforted me with "well honey, everything happens for a reason", I wouldn't take it well at all."

This happened to me. It was a heart sinking, THOUGHTLESS thing to say to anyone. I would never wish what I went through on my worst enemy. And this was the Minister telling me this. Oh, I F'kin lost it right there and then. Being as passionate as I am about my disbelief in that total nonsense. The family dragged me away, I was hurtling some pretty anti god stuff as they were doing so. Telling them that...well you can get the picture. He actually said these words, I will never forget them as long as I live, "William, our lord God gives us these children, and he can take them away whenever he wants to..". He didn't get to finish.

William I am so sorry about that having happened to you, what a jerk! Why people say that doesn't even make any sense to me. That statement is about a dumb as when you are at the store and the cashier says "Did you find everything all right?" Hello if I hadn't found everything would I now be in the FUCKING line. I hope that lightened your mood.

Whatever department you are in, the guy working it is off covering for the guy in another department who is covering for someone in a third department... who didn't come to work for whatever reason. So if -- against all odds -- you can find someone, they don't have a clue because it's not the place they normally work.